Electric car statistics - data and projections

As online car sales specialists, we know many people have questions around electric cars. We've created this essential guide showcasing the latest electric vehicle statistics, highlighting key trends and the reasons behind EVs' growing popularity.

What are the Key Statistics for Electric Cars in 2025?

• 381,970 electric cars were sold in 2024 in the UK - its best year for EV sales.
• 1 in 5 BEV models in the UK now retail for less than the average petrol or diesel car.
• Electric cars accounted for 19.6% of UK new car registrations in 2024. Petrol was the most popular fuel choice, with a 52.2% market share. 
• A typical electric car takes eight hours to fully charge from empty at a 'fast' 7kW charge point.
• Many electric cars are compatible with 'rapid' 50kW chargers, which adds 100 miles of range in around 35 minutes.
• Greater London has the highest number of EV charging points in the UK, with 22,211 at the start of 2025.
• Since May 2023, the number of rapid and ultra-rapid public charging devices has increased almost 45%.
• The original Nissan Leaf was the first EV to enjoy mainstream success. Launched in 2011, the Leaf combined family car practicality with a maximum range of 100 miles.
• The Mercedes-Benz EQS had the longest maximum EV range in 2024, covering up to 452 miles on a single charge.
• The Tesla Model Y was the world's best-selling EV in the world in 2024, with more than 1 million units delivered.
• 6.3 million EVs are expected to be sold in Europe by 2025. 
• 17.1 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2024. 

Electric Cars in 2025: Global Overview and Forecast

In 2024 electric car sales remained strong, continuing the upward trend from 2023. More than 17 million EVs were sold globally, an increase of more than 20% compared to the previous year.

In the UK new car market, electric vehicle sales have shown significant growth, reflecting the global trend.

What percentage of new cars are electric? The percentage of electric cars in the world has increased dramatically in recent years; they accounted for almost a fifth of all new car sales in 2024.

Highlighting the rapid growth of the EV market is that EV sales in 2024 were more than 6 times higher than in 2018.

In the opening month of 2025, EVs enjoyed continued strong sales even amongst an overall downturn in new car sales. In the UK, January 2025 saw a 2.5% YoY drop in car registrations - driven by declining petrol and diesel sales - while BEV registrations were up over 41%.

It's the same story in Europe - BEV sales increased 37.3% while overall car sales dropped 2.1%. 

How many electric cars are made each year?

In 2025, it's estimated that over 20 million electric cars will be sold globally. If that happens, EVs will account for around a quarter of all car sales worldwide in 2025.

These projections would continue the strong sales performance of EVs in 2024, where around 17 million were sold globally – a 20% year-on-year increase on 2023's 14 million sales. More than 10 million EVs were sold in China alone, accounting for over 60% of estimated global sales.

What percentage of cars are electric?

19.6% of cars sold in the UK in 2024 were EVs.

How many electric cars in the world? Globally, electric cars accounted for more than 20% of all new car sales in 2024, with around 17 million units sold.

Latest EV News

The Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Electric Vehicles

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% levy on all vehicles imported to the US, separate to the universal and 'reciprocal' tariffs that target the majority of goods imported into the US from most countries, including the UK, the EU, Canada and China.

The tariffs means that the price of imported EVs for US buyers could rise as dealerships pass on the increased costs. 

In the UK, the government is relaxing EV sales targets to help the car industry. Manufacturers will now have more freedom in how they meet the targets (currently 28% of new cars sold in 2025 must be electric) - such as selling more EVs next year if they don't meet the required figures this year. 

While the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will still be banned from 2030, manufacturers can continue to sell hybrids until 2035 under the revised mandate.

BYD's Super e-Platform

BYD has unveiled a megawatt fast-charging system, named the 'super e-platform'. The Chinese carmaker says it can charge an EV as quickly as a petrol pump can fill an ICE car, which - if proven - would eliminate the long charging times seen as a key barrier to adoption.

The 'super e-platform' reportedly has charging speeds of 1000 kW, which would deliver 249 miles of range in just 5 minutes. Those speeds are twice Tesla's Superchargers, which deliver power up to 500 kW. Founder Wang Chuanfu claimed the new charger is the first in the industry to deliver megawatt charging capabilities. 

The new charger will initially be compatible with the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV. BYD also announced that it will build its own charging network in China, with more than 4,000 charging points planned across the country. 

The UK's EV Fast-Charging Network 

A 2024 report highlighted that exclusively fast-charging an EV in the UK costs drivers an average of $1000 (£766) more than petrol. Charging an EV at home saves drivers between $510 (£390) and $1200 (£919) over petrol.

The number of BEVs is predicted to grow from around 1.3 million (at the start of 2025) to 7 million by 2030 and then 22 million by 2040. That number of EVs would require 7 times the amount of electricity at ultra-fast chargers by 2030.

Lancashire County Council estimates that it will need 8 times as many electric vehicle charging points by 2030. 817 were in operation as of July 2024 - an extra 6,665 are estimated to be needed to meet demand by the end of the decade.

Data from March 2025 shows that roughly 2 million drivers use public EV chargers every month in the UK. 60% of those charging sessions use either rapid (50kW+) or ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargers.

Want to know how much your road tax will be for your EV in 2025? Check out our guide to the latest VED car tax rates.

New Electric Car Sales in 2024

Global EV sales grew by 25% in 2024. In total, more than 17 million EVs were sold worldwide.

China was the largest market - in November 2024, it accounted for 70% of EV sales globally for the month.

At the start of 2024, the Chinese market accounted for approximately 50% of all EVs globally. With combined sales of over half a million units, BYD ATTO 3, BYD Dolphin, and GAC Aion S were some of the most popular models among Chinese consumers that year.  

In the UK, over 1.9 million new cars were registered in 2024 – of these, 381,970 were EVs. To get more detail, our guide to car sales stats explains all. 

• Electric car sales increased by 21.4% in 2024 in the UK.
• EV sales are now second only to petrol cars in the UK.
• China remained the world’s largest EV market in 2024. 
• More than one in ten new vehicles sold in 2024 were electric-powered.
• Seven electric car manufacturers, including Volvo, Mercedes, and Nissan, announced plans to make their vehicles compatible with Tesla’s supercharging network. 

Used Electric Car Sales

• The value of second-hand Tesla, Ford, and GM EVs in the US decreased by 28% in 2023. 
• In the US, EVs lose around 49.5% of the value after 3 years. The industry average (with ICE cars) is 42%.
• Volkswagen EVs were the most popular in the UK's used electric car market. 
• Used BEV sales increased by nearly 100% in Q3 of 2023 in the UK to over 34,000.  BEVs accounted for 1.8% of the used car market in the quarter, up from 1.0% at the same point in 2022.

How many used electric cars were sold in 2024?

Demand for used electric cars is growing. In Q3 2024, used EVs recorded a largest ever market share of the UK's used car market at 2.7%, with transactions increasing by 57% in the quarter.

• 118,973 used all-electric vehicles were sold in the UK in 2023. That number will likely be higher in 2024 as more EVs are on the UK's roads.
• Hybrid vehicles were more popular than pure electric vehicles in the UK’s used EV market, as 221,859 second-hand hybrids changed hands in the UK compared to 118,973 pure electric models.

Electric Car Sales UK

EV sales in the UK have steadily risen in recent years. 381,970 EVs were sold in the UK in 2024, a record number and a 21.4% increase over 2023 sales. 

In 2025, manufacturers will need to meet the UK government's target of 28% of all vehicle sales being zero emission, or risk having to pay fines. However, the government has relaxed the targets in response to US tariffs – manufacturers can shift sales out over the next few years.

UK EV Car Sales in 2025

The UK's EV market continued the strong 2024 performance in January 2025. In a month where the overall car market shrank 2.5% compared to 2024, EV sales were up 41.6% - a total of 29,634 EVs were sold in the month.

This trend continued in February 2025, where BEV sales increased by 41.7% YoY while the overall new car market dropped by 1.0%. 21,244 EVs were sold in February, accounting for 1 in 4 new car sales for the month. March 2025 saw 69,313 BEV registrations, a 42.3% increase year-on-year. 

EV Car Sales UK 2024

• Overall in 2024, EVs commanded a 19.6% market share of new car registrations in the UK.
• 167,096 fully electric cars were sold in the UK in the first 6 months of 2024, 9.2% more than in the same period in 2023. This is alongside 81,522 PHEVs and 137,838 HEVs.
• The Tesla Model Y was the most popular EV in the UK in 2024, with 32,862 sales. Sales were almost twice the number of the second most popular EV, the Audi Q4 e-tron.
• EV sales were up 18.8% in July, commanding almost two-fifths of the UK new car sales market for the month.
• September 2024 saw a record number of BEV registrations in the UK - 56,387.

What is the best-selling EV in the UK 2024?

The Tesla Model Y is currently the best-selling EV in the UK. 32,862 were sold in 2024, making it the fifth most-popular new car overall in the UK.

What percentage of UK car sales are electric?

In 2024, electric cars made up 19.6% of all new car sales in the UK. 381,970 were sold in 2024, a 21.4% increase from 2023. Together with PHEVs (8.6%) and HEVs (13.4%), cars with an electric motor account for 43.4% of UK's new car sale market.

The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2024

1. Tesla Model Y (32,862)
2. Audi Q4 e-tron (17,622)
3. Tesla Model 3 (17,425)
4. MG4 (15,561)
5. BMW i4 (12,953)
6. Mercedes-Benz EQA (11,617)
7. Skoda Enyaq (11,516)
8. Hyundai KONA (10,858)
9. Volvo EX30 (9,931)
10. Volkswagen ID.4 (8,927)

The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2023

1. Tesla Model Y (35,899)
2. MG4 (21,715)
3. Audi Q4 e-tron (16,757)
4. Tesla Model 3 (13,536)
5. Polestar 2 (12,542)
6. Volkswagen ID.3 (10,295)
7. Kia Niro EV (10,084)
8. BMW i4 (8940)
9. Volkswagen ID.4 (8495)
10. Skoda Enyaq (8136)

The 10 Best-Selling EVs in 2022

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car in 2022, replacing the Tesla Model 3 which lead the way in 2021. Below are the 10 best electric cars 2022 in terms of sales:

1. Tesla Model Y (35,551)
2. Tesla Model 3 (19,071)
3. Kia e-Niro (11,197)
4. VW ID.3 (9832)
5. Nissan Leaf (9178)
6. MINI Electric (7425)
7. Polestar 2 (7345)
8. MG5 (7030)
9. BMW i4 (6699)
10. Audi Q4 e-tron (6594)

What percentage of UK cars are electric?

At the start of 2025, EVs make up roughly 4% of all vehicles registered in the UK. There are around 34 million cars on UK roads, of which around 1.3 million are EVs.

In 2024, EVs had a 19.6% market share of UK new car sales. That's a total of 381,970 vehicles, a 21.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

How many electric car charging stations are there in the UK?

At the start of 2025, there were 73,699 EV charging points in the UK. These provide 108,410 electric car charging connectors. 

EV charging infrastructure in the UK is growing at a rapid rate, with new charging points being added daily. The scope of the nation’s electric car charging network increased by 37% between December 2023 and December 2024.

How many electric car charging locations are there in the UK?

There are 37,011 charging locations in the UK at the start of 2025. This number includes devices that are classed as slow (3-7kW), fast (8-49kW), rapid (50-149kW) and ultra-rapid (150kW). 

Currently, the UK has 7,021 ultra-rapid charging points. The vast majority of charging points are 'slow' - 41,904 are available in the UK.

In addition, EV drivers can park and charge their cars at private locations through platforms like YourParkingSpace.co.uk. It currently has over 5,000 private spaces at 1,736 locations on its platform for EV drivers. There are an estimated 700,000 private electric charging locations in the UK, installed either at home or a workplace. 

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger in the UK?

It costs around £1,000 for EV owners in the UK to install a 7kW fast charger in their home, or approximately £650 including the charger and the labour cost if they’re eligible for the government grant. The cost of trenching (installing cables underground) is £30 per meter or more, depending on the terrain. A 3kW slow charger is a more affordable option as its average home installation price ranges between £250 and £500. 

How much does it cost to charge an electric car in the UK?

The cost of charging an electric car is approximately £5 per 100 miles, provided that the cost of electricity is 18p per kWh and that the vehicle can travel at least 3.5 miles per kWh. Fully charging an EV with a 60 kWh battery at home costs approximately £17, while recharging at a supermarket or a car park costs approximately £26. The rapid charging service costs around £19 for a 30-minute charge. Most EV owners in the UK can use charging stations installed at their work for free. 

How much does it cost to replace an electric car battery in the UK?

Despite projections indicating that their prices should continue to decrease in 2024, batteries remain among the most expensive electric car components. Replacing an electric car battery in the UK cost roughly £109.25 per kWh or £7,235 in 2024.

Fortunately, most EV owners won’t have to replace their car’s battery during their vehicle’s lifespan due to their longevity. 

Is it a good time to buy an EV?

EV market growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years as the UK prepares itself for the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales. Following a big investment in the UK’s charging infrastructure, and with a greater range of EVs available than ever before, we think there has never been a better time to buy a new or used EV. 

In 2024 EVs outsold every type of fuel except petrol, which is set to remain the most popular fuel choice for both new and used car buyers for the next few years. Diesel is expected to become a niche choice over time as drivers opt for cleaner and cheaper plug-in alternatives.

Supporting increasing UK EV sales has been the expanding range of electric vehicles on sale, with manufacturers scrambling to offer as many models as possible with plug-in variants. 

Carmakers like Nissan, Tesla, Ford and Vauxhall have all expanded their model line ups to include affordable plug-in models and EVs. Premium carmaker Volkswagen has gone one step further and created the electric-only ID. range while Mercedes-Benz has created its innovative Mercedes-EQ models.

International EV Statistics

• It's estimated that around 17 million EVs will be sold worldwide in 2024.
• In 2024, over 40% of new cars sold in China were electric.
• In 2023, more than 250,000 EVs were registered every week around the world.

Electric Cars in Europe Statistics

Europe is one of the largest markets for EVs, with 6.7 million being sold on the continent in 2023. BEVs were the third most popular choice among European EV buyers, partly driven by a rapid increase in available models - buyers in the EU in 2018 had a choice of just 29 models. In 2023, that number had increased to 371, a 1179% increase in just 5 years.

In 2024, BEVs accounted for 13.6% of roughly 10.6 million cars sold in Europe. 

January 2025 saw Tesla - one of Europe's most popular EV brands - sales decline in key markets. In France, Tesla sales were down 63% in January YoY, while in Germany they fell 59%. In the UK, sales were down nearly 8% in the first month of 2025.

VW sold the most EVs in Europe in Q1 2025, beating the likes of Tesla. The German carmaker sold over 65,000 BEVs in the first quarter of the year, with sales growing 157% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Tesla sales declined 38%, with 53,237 cars sold on the continent.

• EV sales fell by 1.2% in 2024 across Europe.
• The European plug-in electric vehicle market grew by 15% between 2021 and 2022.
• Hybrid electric car registrations rose by 26% in December due to large increase in registrations of these vehicles in Europe’s largest markets, Germany (+38%), France (32.6%) and Spain (24.3%).
• 1.5 million battery electric cars were sold in the EU in 2023, while 2.7 million hybrid-electric vehicles were sold during the same period. 
• The Tesla Model Y remained Europe’s most popular electric car in 2024. 
• The average price of an EV across Europe is around €46,000. The average range is about 346 miles.
• BEV market share has increased across the EU in the first 4 months of 2025. BEVs accounted for 15.3% of new car registrations in January-April 2025, up from 12% over the same period in 2024.

What is the top selling EV in Europe 2025?

In Q1 2025, the best-selling EV in Europe was the Tesla Model Y. This is despite Tesla sales falling overall in the European market (down 38% compared to Q1 2024) and the US carmaker facing fierce competition from VW – EV sales for the German carmaker increased by 157% compared to Q1 2024.

In Q1 2025, the top 5 EV models were (number of registrations):

• Tesla Model Y (29,770)
• Tesla Model 3 (23,044)
• Volkswagen ID.4 (21,025)
• Volkswagen ID.7 (18,770)
• Kia EV3 (18,484)

Norway Electric Car Statistics

Electric vehicles are hugely popular in Norway, predicted to reach 95% market share in 2024. 

• Norway’s EV market is expected to generate $11.2 billion in 2024. 
• 81.6% of all new vehicles registered in Norway in 2023 were BEVs. 
• There were 689,196 electric passenger vehicles and 29,612 light commercial electric vehicles in Norway at the end of 2023. 
• It is predicted that the country will reach 100% zero-emission car sales by 2025. 

Electric Cars in the US

• The EV market in the US is expected to be worth $82.4 billion by the end of 2024. 
• 7.6% of all cars sold in the US in 2023 were electric. 
• Currently, there are approximately 2.88 million EVs on the roads in the US, which is around 1% of all vehicles on the nation’s roads. 
• 1.28 million EV units are forecasted to be sold in the US during 2024. This number should increase to 2.46 million units by 2028. 
• The US EV market is the second largest in the world. 
• The total number of electric vehicles registered in the US was 2.44 million in 2024 - about 0.86% of all registered cars in the country.
• Tesla controls a 56.53% share of the US EV market. 
• 35% of all new electric cars in the US were registered in California. 
• 1.179 million all-electric cars were sold in California in Q4 2023 - it was the most popular state for EVs.
• 105,258 electric vehicles were sold in the United States in January 2024. 

Electric Cars in China 

China's EV market is one of the largest in the world. 2025 EV revenue is expected to reach $377.4 billion, with the market's annual growth rate predicted at 2.51% between 2025 and 2029. Chinese car makers are rapidly expanding into new markets and quickly becoming the preferred choice for many buyers – BYD overtook Tesla as the world's most popular EV brand in 2024.

• EVs and plug-in hybrids (collectively known as New Energy Vehicles) made up 50.8% of the 1.78 million cars sold in China in April 2025.
• China's EV market grew 38.2% in 2024.
• BYD is the most popular EV brand in China, delivering more than 3.5 million cars domestically in 2024.
• Between 2009-2023, it's estimated that China spent around $231 billion (about £172 billion) developing its EV industry

Electric Car Safety Statistics

• Less than 1% of all car fires are electric vehicle fires. 
• Thermal runaway within the battery is one of the most common causes of electric car fires. 
• 20% of fires reported in the United States in 2019 were electric vehicle or internal combustion engine vehicle fires. 
• Hybrid cars are more likely to catch fire than electric or ICE vehicles.
• A passenger EV battery has 0.0012% chance of catching fire. 
• Putting out an electric car fire can take over five hours. 
• Over 80 people have died in Tesla car fire incidents since 2014. 

How do electric vehicles work?

Electric cars are battery-powered vehicles that run on electricity 100% of the time. Unlike petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles, EVs do not have a combustion engine; instead, they use an electric motor and a rechargeable battery.

As with petrol and diesel cars, the advertised range of an EV varies depending on driving style. Weather conditions also impact their range, along with the use of in-car heating and air conditioning. 

A typical electric car will travel over 200 miles on a single charge, while premium models like the Tesla Model S or the Polestar 2 are capable of covering around 300 miles before you need to recharge. The Mercedes EQS claims to manage 452 miles on a single charge.

EVs feature smart energy recovery technology, which automatically tops up the battery by converting kinetic energy into electricity (when braking or travelling down a hill).

Recharging the battery is usuallyy a lengthy process – most EVs require eight or nine hours for a full charge from a 7kW wall box. However, many have a 'rapid charge' function that uses a higher voltage to charge the battery to 80% of its charge in around 40 minutes. Some models feature a heat pump that helps to heat the car in winter without impacting on the battery and range.

What are the different types of electric vehicles?

There are 3 main types of electric vehicle:

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs or just EVs): These cars are powered by an electric battery only and typically have a range of 100 - 200 miles - this average is increasing every year as manufacturers release more models.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs): Unlike EVs, plug-in hybrid cars are powered by a combination of electricity and fossil fuel (petrol or diesel). PHEVs have a smaller battery than pure electric cars, which means they have a maximum EV range of 15 - 30 miles. When the battery is empty the combustion engine will power the vehicle until the battery is recharged again.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs): Hybrid vehicles can only be driven a few miles on pure electricity. A hybrid car has no plug, instead, it recovers energy under braking and uses it to recharge its battery on the move. Most of the power comes an internal combustion engine.

What is the cheapest electric car?

The Citroen Ami is the cheapest electric car in 2024, starting at £7,695. Models like Smart EQ Fortwo and BYD Dolphin are available for over £20,000. The MG ZS EV is the most affordable electric SUV in 2024. 

How much pollution do electric cars produce?

Electric cars produce 2,727 lbs of CO2 equivalent per year (this occurs during production, as EVs don't produce greenhouse gases as a byproduct of propulsion), while ICE cars produce 12,594 lbs of CO2 equivalent annually. 

• At least 70% of recycled EV battery materials are reused. 
• All electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions. 

What are electric car batteries made of?

The key components of lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars are carbon, lithium and metal oxide. The anode, cathode, lithium ions, separator, and electrolyte are the main components of the battery, and they’re made of environmentally damaging materials. 

What minerals are used in electric car batteries?

An electric car battery contains base metals like iron, aluminium and copper, as well as precious metals like cobalt, manganese and nickel. All EV batteries also contain lithium salt and graphite. Extraction of these metals is expensive, which is a part of the reason EVs are expensive.